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Mobile IED defused on
Jammu-Poonch highway
A security officer in protective gear defuses the IED found on the Jammu-Poonch national highway
on Monday. A Tribune photograph
BSF to guard fields in forward areas this harvest season
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Major Central projects
overrun deadlines, costs
Ladakhi Buddhists oppose ‘unwanted’ interference of Hurriyat
Winged visitors may fly away sooner this year
Migratory birds at the Hokersar wetland in the Kashmir Valley. The area of the wetland has reduced to 5 sq km from 13.75 sq km. Photo: Yawar Kabli
Sibal’s exit may delay stone laying
of Kashmir Central University
People offer prayers at the Eidgah in Srinagar on
Monday. Tribune photo
BJP: Govt meetings to seek suggestions an eye wash
Implement polybag ban strictly,
HC tells district magistrates
Poor road network along LAC in Ladakh hampers preparedness
A bus moves on a dilapidated road in the Ladakh region.
Tribune photo: Anand Sharma
Internet users a troubled lot in Valley
Tension in Kishtwar
One dies in Banihal accident
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Mobile IED defused on
Jammu-Poonch highway
Rajouri, October 29 The road opening party of the Army accompanied by sniffer dogs detected the IED on the Rajouri-Poonch highway at Dalogra around 6 am today. A suspicious-looking Chinese mobile phone in red colour was found lying by the roadside on the national highway with wires coming out of it. The road opening party informed its seniors of the discovery. Within no time, senior army officers, paramilitary forces and police rushed to the spot and cordoned off the village. Vehicular traffic was halted on the national highway for about two hours, resulting in chaos among locals and stranded passengers. At about 11.52 am, a special team of the Army’s bomb disposal squad defused the IED by blasting it in a nearby nullah. A senior Army officer who was on the spot said, “Engineers have identified it as an explosive device connected with a mobile phone. The device has been successfully defused by the Army’s bomb disposal squad. It was a tricky situation. Whenever a jawan tried to go near the phone, it would start ringing. This happened thrice.” Dalogra sarpanch Ashwani Sharma said alert sniffer dogs of the Army and the patrolling party saved many precious and innocent lives. Hundreds of security personnel and army and paramilitary forces personnel have launched a search operation in the area. Tragedy Averted
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BSF to guard fields in forward areas this harvest season
Jammu, October 29 “This year there has been a spurt in truce violations as well as Rangers opening fire on the civilian population. The BSF has, therefore, deployed its guards to enable hassle-free harvest of the standing paddy crops,” BSF Jammu Frontier DIG JS Oberoi told The Tribune. Sufficient border guards equipped with sophisticated weapons have been deployed in fields near the borderline in Kathua and Samba districts, Oberoi said. The BSF guards 192 km of the international border in the Jammu region. Since farmers had a fear of getting sniped by the Rangers, we deployed our boys in sensitive and vulnerable areas along the IB in Kathua and Samba districts, said Oberoi. “The farmers paddy crop had ripened, but they were feeling insecure to harvest it. So, we decided to give them protection,” he said. While deployment is complete in fields near the border in Kathua and Samba districts, similar measures will be adopted in the RS Pura sector once the basmati crop gets ready. The basmati crop is delayed this year due to delayed and scarce monsoon. On October 1, Rangers had targeted and critically injured a couple Kulwant Singh, 35, and his wife Trishla Devi, 32, of Chachwal village in Samba district while they were working in their fields. Oberoi also recalled similar attempts to scare villagers in the RS Pura sector. Rangers also sniped at our boys killing three of them this year, he added. “Rangers have been targeting civilians, which compelled the higher-ups in the BSF to place border guards in agricultural fields close to the border for the safety of the villagers,” he said. The BSF has made this arrangement from the resources already available to it and this initiative has certainly instilled a sense of safety and security among the villagers, who initially were reluctant to harvest their paddy crops, said the DIG. “Now the farmers are harvesting their produce without any fear,” he added. Repeated truce violations
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Major Central projects
overrun deadlines, costs
Jammu, October 29 In some cases, Central projects have overrun their scheduled time of completion by 10 years, which has resulted in massive increase in the cost estimates. Even the projects initiated under the ‘Reconstruction Plan for J&K’ by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the state in November 2004 have jumped several deadlines besides witnessing whopping cost escalations. To start with, the fate of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway project, which started in 1995, is still hanging in the balance. The project, which was originally supposed to be completed at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore, is now expected to cost the Central government around Rs 20,000 crore. The much-talked about Kishanganga Hydel project, which is being built on the Neelum river at Gurez, is another glaring example of the inordinate delay in executing projects. “The work on the project has been suspended following a stay order granted by the International Court of Arbitration (ICA). The project was to be completed at a cost of Rs 3,642 crore by January 2016 but its deadline has been revised to November 2016,” said a source. Similarly, the Uri Hydroelectric Power Project -II, which is being implemented by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), has missed two deadlines. “The original time schedule for the completion of the project was September 2009 while the second deadline was fixed for February 2011. The executing agency had further revised the schedule to March 2013, a delay of almost three and half years from the original deadline,” the source said. As many as 14 power projects for rural electrification works under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) have also overrun their deadline and cost, sources said. “There is a big difference between the original and the revised cost estimates. The original cost estimates for these 14 projects were Rs 635 crore which jumped upto Rs 927 crore due to a slow pace of execution,” a source said, adding that some of these projects were to be completed in 2005-06 but the executing agencies had later fixed December 2012 as the deadline. So far, the Central government has released Rs 761 crore for the implementation of this scheme. The Centre had announced the Reconstruction Plan for J&K involving an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore. At present, the approximate total outlay for the project is Rs 32,571.51 crore. So far, the Centre has released around Rs 7,215 crore under this plan. Sources said the failure of state government functionaries to actively pursue the cases of development projects vis-a-vis timely release of funds with the Central government had resulted in the delay and cost escalation of the projects. Deepankar Sengupta, Head, Department of Economics, University of Jammu, opined: “The tragedy is that the state government is least bothered about decentralising the powers at the grass-roots level. It is a serious problem as none of the developmental project has ever been completed in time across Jammu and Kashmir. The focus must be on decentralising the powers so that an effective monitoring can be done on the execution of these projects.”
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Guinness Record in Leh: 99,013 saplings planted in just 53 minutes
Leh, October 29 This is the second Guinness Record on plantation set by the people of
Ladakh. In 2010, 50,033 saplings were planted in 33 minutes and 25 seconds by 9,313 persons on 26 kanals of land at Changa village of Leh district. The plantation drive was organised by the ‘Live to Love Foundation’ under the leadership of Gelwang Drukpa
Rinpoche. Addressing the opening ceremony, Rinpoche said the plantation drive would help conserve the environment in the Himalayas. Hundreds of monks and nuns also participated in the event. Chief Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
(LAHDC), Leh Rigzin Spalbar and Executive Councilor for Agriculture Sonam Dorje were also present on the occasion.
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Ladakhi Buddhists oppose ‘unwanted’ interference of Hurriyat
Jammu, October 29 “The conversion of some Buddhist families is purely an internal matter of the Buddhists and Muslims of the Ladakh region but the unwanted interference of some hardcore groups of the Kashmir valley has created fear among us,” Dr Tundup Tsewang, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), told The Tribune. He said such groups were notorious for playing the communal card on all issues. “Both the communities have been living together in complete harmony for decades together because both the communities have cultural similarities,” he said, adding that some fundamentalist groups of the Valley were trying to create a division between the communities by raking up the Zanskar issue. Tsewang cautioned that this unwanted “third party” intervention would prove disastrous for the otherwise peaceful Ladakh region. He said people of Ladakh were capable enough to solve their internal matters. “Fundamentalist groups such as the Hurriyat Conference for the last two decades have been desperately trying to strengthen their base in the Ladakh region but their communal agenda has been rejected by people here,” he said. Kunchuk, vice-president of the youth wing of the LBA said unnecessary interference of the Hurriyat Conference and other “fanatic” groups was a matter of concern as they were instigating communities against each other. Strongly disapproving the “vicious” campaign launched by the Hurriyat Conference and other elements, Tundup said the Buddhist population was just 15 per cent in Kargil district. “We are in minority in Kargil district but the Hurriyat Conference is trying to give an impression that we have attacked the minorities in Kargil,” he said. Buddhist leaders lamented that the authorities had failed to check the activities of such forces in Ladakh. “The reaction of the Hurriyat Conference on the Zanskar incident was part of a deep-rooted conspiracy,” Tundup said. He cautioned the state government against allowing such forces to increase their activities in the region. |
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Winged visitors may fly away sooner this year
Srinagar, October 29 Human intervention, in particular, is being cited as a reason for the unreceptive environment for these winged guests. These birds, which belong to 30 different species, settle across four wetlands in the Valley including Hokersar, Haygam Shalbugh, Mirgund and water bodies along the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway between November and February. Official sources said an amount of Rs 30 lakh, which is disbursed to the wildlife division every year for the maintenance of surface water, for ensuring 60-40 per cent balance between grass and water and the removal of weeds, had not been provided this year due to which perfect habitat conditions for these birds could not be achieved. “These birds usually come from countries such as Siberia, Philippines, China, Japan and northern Europe where winter temperatures drop to minus 30-40 degrees Celcius. Kashmir, especially the wetlands here, becomes a residence for them for these months. However, on not finding suitable feeding sources like surface water, water chestnut and even grass, these birds might fly away to plain regions of India or Pakistan,” a Wildlife Department official said. Human encroachment in eco-sensitive zones around these wetlands, which is unchecked by the government, has also depleted the ground water reserves in these areas forcing the migratory birds to look for water in urban areas of Srinagar, where the likelihood of finding water and food is less. These encroachments have also led to the shrinkage of wetlands to almost half of their initial surface area, posing a threat to the survival of these birds. “From 13.75 sq km, the Hokersar wetland has reduced to just 5 sq km. The area of the Shalbugh has shrunk from 16 sq km to 7 sq km, the Haigam from 14 sq km to 5 sq km,” an official said. Although the state government had banned the hunting of birds in 2001, officials do not rule out bird poaching even after the prohibition. “The state government has to act tougher and ban all kinds of man-led activity which pose a danger to the safe stay of various species of birds such as the Tufted Duck, Garganey, Grayland Goose, Brahminy Duck, Northern Pintail, Mallard, Common Merganser, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Rudy Shelduck and the Northern Shoveler. Not only this, humans need to revisit their attitude about serving the environment and not harming birds and animals,” Nadeem Qadri, an environmentalist, said. A Hostile environment
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Sibal’s exit may delay stone laying
of Kashmir Central University
New Delhi, October 29 The event was scheduled to be held on October 16 in Ganderbal, the home constituency of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was going to participate in the programme. Sibal was to lay the foundation stone after the state government recently transferred 415 acres of land in Ganderbal for the construction of the university and the landscaping of its much-awaited campus. The university authorities have now approached the new HRD Minister, MM Pallam Raju, seeking his presence for the event which, in all likelihood, will be delayed considering that Raju is yet to assume the formal charge of the ministry. Vice-chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir Prof Abdul Wahid Qureishi told The Tribune today, “We have approached the new HRD Minister and have intimated the schedule of the ceremony to him. A confirmation is awaited. We have requested the minister to lay the foundation stone by the end of November, failing which we would have to extend the programme beyond March next year. We cannot have the function in winter.” The ceremony is critical as it will be a formal announcement to the public about the functioning of the university from a new campus. “We were hoping to start the construction soon. A master plan is awaited. We have already got the demarcation pillars built through the Public Works Department,” Prof Qureishi said. The university is presently operating through four rented buildings across Srinagar. “We have hired four buildings - three to run classes and one for hostel accommodation. Once we have our own campus, things will work out smoothly,” the VC said. The first batch of 570 students from the university passed out this year. Out of these, 20 students had come from other parts of the country. Importantly, the process of the acquisition of land in Ganderbal for the construction of the university campus has been delayed already. The land was in the possession of local farmers who have only recently been compensated in lieu of the award of land to the state which has transferred it to the university. Now or march 2013
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Celebrations continue in Valley on Day 3 of Eid
Srinagar, October 29 Less traffic plied on the roads and many shops remained shut in view of the Eid-ul-Adha. While Darbar offices, which will open next week in Jammu, have already shut down, attendance at other offices and educational institutes too remained low. "I returned from school early today as very few students and staff members had come," said a government school teacher. Tariq Ahmad, a shop-owner, said he and many other shopkeepers had preferred to stay back at home. "Many people here usually observe a holiday on their own on the third day of Eid. We knew no one will come to shop today so many of us kept our shops closed," he said. Meanwhile, people were seen distributing sacrificial meat for the third consecutive day. "The meat has to be distributed to every friend, relative and neighbour and it is not possible to complete this distribution in two days. Moreover, one usually struggles to find a butcher on the first day of Eid," said Riyaz Ahmad, a local. Muslims observe the Eid-ul-Adha festival by sacrificing cattle to honour Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son before Allah. The annual Hajj pilgrimage, too, culminates with the Eid-ul-Adha with pilgrims scheduled to arrive back in Srinagar from November 2 onwards. Barring stray incidents of stone-throwing at downtown Srinagar on October 27, the festival passed off peacefully amid the call of hard-line Hurriyat faction to hold 'symbolic' protests against the arrival of Indian Armed Forces in the state 65 years ago.
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BJP: Govt meetings to seek suggestions an eye wash
Jammu, October 29 BJP MLAs Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Shyam Choudhary and Sukhnandan Kumar Choudhary walked out from the meeting comprising Jammu district’s elected representatives and senior officials of the CAPD department as a mark of protest. Ashok Khajuria said it had become a custom with the ruling NC-Congress coalition to convene meetings and seek suggestions for the improvement in the functioning of its departments. “In reality, it is only an eye-wash,” he said, adding that the recent decision to bring down the number of subsidised LPG cylinders to six had created problems for people. “Large queues of helpless consumers are seen outside LPG outlets. Genuine consumers are not getting cylinders for days together while they are being sold in black for Rs 1,200-1,500 per cylinder,” he alleged. Jugal Kishore Sharma said the CAPD had miserably failed to mitigate the sufferings of the people in rural areas. “Even the APL families are not being provided with their fixed ration quota of a month. There is no LPG cylinder or kerosene oil for the rural population,” he said. Sharma alleged that despite valuable and result-oriented suggestions, not even a single recommendation was practically adopted. “We do not see any logic in attending the meeting and forwarding suggestions if they are not considered,” he said, alleging that there was a nexus between the CAPD officials and black marketers.
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Implement polybag ban strictly,
HC tells district magistrates
Srinagar, October 29 This was observed today by a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Hasnain Massodi while hearing a public interest litigation on the preservation and conservation of the Dal Lake. Taking strong exception to the rampant use of polythene in the state, the high court had in July asked the government to ensure a complete ban on the use of non-degradable polythene carry bags and other material. The court had also told the state to file a status report on steps taken to implement directions. The government counsels told the court today that the ban on the use of polythene was being effectively implemented, but the Chief Justice did not agree. He said polythene continued to be used in the state and he had seen polythene carrybags in use on a visit to a famous Sufi shrine in South Kashmir recently. “The court has now directed all district magistrates to seek effective implementation of the
ban on polythene use in areas under their jurisdiction. Besides, police authorities have been directed to check the entry of polythene material at entry points to the state, including through Lakhanpur in Jammu province, one of the main entry points to the state,” high court amicus curie Zaffar A
Shah said. Besides, the court has directed local bodies such as municipal councils and committees to file compliance reports on the ban on use of polythene bags by giving details of the action taken against violators. Saving the environment
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Poor road network along LAC in Ladakh hampers preparedness
Jammu, October 29 The ITBP, which primarily guards the LAC in the Ladakh region in tandem with the Army, wants the BRO to get its act together before it turns out to be “too little, too late”. “China is raising huge infrastructure on its side and we are no match for it. Though the BRO has started constructing roads in the Ladakh region, work is moving at snail’s pace,” said a top source in the ITBP. “We know the BRO is overburdened, but the slow pace of building roads is taking a toll on the operational preparedness of not only the ITBP, but also the Army and the Air Force in the region,” added the source. The source suggested that keeping in mind strategic importance of the region, the work of various road projects could be given to private agencies. In July this year, Army Chief General Bikram Singh had also urged the BRO to take immediate steps to meet deadlines of road construction in Ladakh and the North-East on the grounds that inordinate delays adversely impact operational preparedness of the Army. “We are already lagging behind China when it comes to road connectivity and other infrastructure. The neighbouring country has built all-weather roads right up to the LAC and our personnel, in the absence of roads, still have to trek long distances to reach their posts. It’s time to speed up various road projects,” said the source. The ITBP currently has five battalions in Ladakh. One battalion comprises 1,300 personnel. The ITBP officer expressed regrets over the tardy pace of BRO in constructing roads in the cold desert. In the age of drones, we are still guarding the vast frontiers without proper road connectivity, he said. “More roads mean more efficiency and as of today, we need at least 15 all-weather roads in strategic areas of the region to connect and replenish our posts adequately,” he added. It may be stated here that the Defence Ministry, in June this year, had formed a panel headed by the Defence Secretary to oversee the status of important road projects all along the LAC and suggest ways to further speed up construction. The road saga
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Internet users a troubled lot in Valley
Srinagar, October 29 The local Internet users allege that the service providers, including the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), are taking them for a ride with erratic services and the bills are escalated more than often. “I got the BSNL broadband installed at my home a year ago and despite repeated complaints to the authorities of the department, the services remain snapped more than three days a week,” said Muhammad Ishaq, a resident of Bijbehara town in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. A Reliance 3G user form the Bijbehara town says that even though the company made the services available in the town but to no avail. “The only thing these Reliance people are particular about is to make us pay the bill. Their tower remains out of order for most of the time and we have to shell out money for not using the Internet,” said Imtiyaz.
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Tension in Kishtwar
Batote, October 29 Shops belonging to a particular community downed shutters after its members took out a protest march and sat on a dharna in the Chhatru market in the morning today. This triggered communal tension between the two communities there. Executive Magistrate-Naib Tehsildar, Irshad Ahmed and DSP, Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh, however, controlled the situation. Reportedly, local Maulvi Abdul Rashid, Kirti Sharma, Kishore Sharma and Bansi Lal were detained by the police for provoking the public. “We have got that objectionable message blocked and keeping a close watch on the situation to prevent it from deterioration,”said the Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar Range DIG, Garib Dass.
— OC
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Panic gripped the non-descript Dalogra village, some 140 km from Jammu, for over five hours today after a mobile intensive explosive device (IED) was detected on the Jammu-Poonch National Highway.
Leh, October 29
Over 10 lakh winged visitors from Central Asia and Europe who make the Kashmir valley their abode every winter might fly away sooner this year due to hostile environment conditions.
Human intervention, in particular, is being cited as a reason for the unreceptive environment for these winged guests.
Jammu, October 29
